Thursday, June 5, 2008

Downtown Macy's building news

I just got an email from the Castleberry Hill Neighborhood Association informing me that there is some news regarding the downtown Macy's building. Y'know, the big empty one across from the 191 building.

Okay, its not totally empty - the City is moving their 911 operations to the 5th or 6th floor. And Level 3 Communications has some office space there, too. It might even be 50% leased. But from an effective standpoint, it is empty. It is a massive, historic building with an awesome street-facing facade, that the vast majority of Atlantans never have a reason to enter. It is an aesthetic hole on Peachtree Street in the center of the city.

... the investors plan to open up the front of the building by removing the store windows from three arches in the façade, adding a two-story glass wall behind the arches, and creating a 75-foot-wide "grand avenue" through the center all the way to the back entrance on Carnegie Way, Patterson said.

The grand avenue will then be lined with 20 to 30 indoor shops and restaurants to cater to Atlanta's conventioneers, tourists, daytime office workers and residents, he said.

If you want to find out more, come to the ADNA meeting on June 10 at the downtown library. It includes a building tour. I hope that the ADNA meeting means they have landed an anchor tenant. Also, it is worth mentioning that this is one of my favorite buildings downtown, and I'll be super stoked if something worthwhile goes into the retail space there. The redevelopment concept sounds good so far.